The Flyers got one of the NHL's top prospects early in Matvei Michkov, but he's far from the only good player in the pipeline. Tony Ferrari has their prospect pool overview.

The Philadelphia Flyers almost made the playoffs when they were supposed to be in full rebuild mode, but a late-season downward spiral saw them just miss out. 

On the whole, they were far more competitive than anyone thought last season. This upcoming season, they will start to see the next wave of Flyers enter the lineup, headlined by Russian superstar Matvei Michkov.

There were various reasons why Michkov fell to the Flyers at seventh overall in the 2023 NHL draft, but the most prominent factor was his KHL contract lasting for three years beyond his draft year. There was little expectation that Michkov would be in the NHL anytime soon as a result. 

That was until SKA St. Petersburg had a change of heart, allowing Michkov to terminate the final two years while retaining his KHL rights. Michkov arrived in North America last week, and the Flyers' brass couldn’t be happier.

On the ice, Michkov will bring an instant scoring threat to the Flyers' lineup. Simply put, he is an offensive catalyst. His shot gets all the attention, and deservedly so, but he is so much more than just a shooting talent. His pace and puckhandling allow him to drive the puck up ice and find space for himself. 

Michkov has grown incredibly in using his teammates, especially in transition. His vision has never been the issue, and his passing skill was always incredible, but the increased willingness to feather passes through traffic or pass off before bursting into space up ice has been a welcome sight. 

Michkov’s nose for the net is the undeniable trait that makes him special, though. His ability to get various shots off with accuracy and power while blending in deception on the release is elite. Michkov has 50-goal potential at the NHL level in his prime.

That said, Michkov is far from the only good prospect in the Flyers' system. 

Denver Barkey is an incredibly versatile and intriguing prospect. Whether at center or on the wing, Barkey plays with pace, and he has a knack for making the right play at the right time. He helped the London Knights to the OHL championship this past season and was consistently one of their best players. He’s center-focused as a passer, feeding pucks to the middle of the ice and even using his passes to guide players into pockets of space where they can score. Barkey consistently makes his linemates' lives easier by drawing pressure or delaying and creating lanes for passes.

In Sweden, Alex Ciernik has played in the second-level men’s league. Although his scoring touch hasn’t exactly translated, his speed and skill make him one of Philadelphia’s most interesting players. His tools are all there. Ciernik can back defenders off, fire passes across the slot or get his shot off on the rush, but his production doesn’t jump off the page. A move to North America after this season might be best for his development.

In his first season in North America, Samu Tuomaala looked great at the AHL level where he put up 43 points in 69 games as a rookie. Tuomaala loves to build up speed, fire up ice like a missile with the puck and then get a shot off on the rush. Tuomaala loves to ramp up the pace and get the offense firing on all cylinders. He ended last season with an injury, but after a healthy summer of training and camp, he could be among the first call-ups from the AHL if they need some speed and scoring on the wing.

Originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes, Massimo Rizzo was traded to the Flyers last summer and then signed after yet another fantastic season with the University of Denver where he was their most lethal forward. Rizzo is a slick playmaker who spots passing lanes with ease, even when they aren’t immediately obvious. He reads the ice well and could be a nice depth piece for the Flyers at some point, but he will likely need some AHL time to round out his game a bit.

On the back end, the Flyers’ pipeline is led by Barkey’s London teammate Oliver Bonk. A first-round pick from last year’s draft, Bonk has continued to round his game out at both ends of the ice. He’s become even more efficient in the defensive zone, improving his overall mobility to ensure he isn’t leaning or reaching for pucks. His offensive game continues to be strong, often playing the bumper spot of the power play because of his ability to quickly hammer his shot on net or distribute the puck with accuracy on one-touch passes. Bonk could be the Flyers’ do-it-all defender down the road.

Emil Andrae’s first full AHL season went about as well as anyone could have hoped. He put up 32 points in 61 games from the blueline, and all his tools translated to the AHL. His passing on the breakout remains a big strength and his play reading continues to be a positive. The biggest issue is that Andrae is an undersized blueliner who isn’t the fleetest of foot. He often finds things most comfortable when the pace is ramped down. He’s found a way to make it work at every level, so maybe he is the exception to the rule, but he will likely have to find a way to play a bit quicker at the NHL level when he gets there on a more full-time basis.

The Flyers acquired Helge Grans from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the sweetener for getting rid of Cal Petersen’s contract in a three-team deal. Grans looked to return to the form he showed in his AHL rookie year before taking a major step back in the Kings' system, but he ended up having a pretty difficult year with the Lehigh Valley Flyers as well this past season. Grans has the tools to be a solid two-way defenseman and even shows off some skill with the puck on his stick but he has been a shell of himself the last two years. The Flyers will hope to see him bounce back this year, or his stock will fall further.

Carter Sotheran is an interesting prospect on the blueline. He makes excellent decisions and seems to understand his limitations. When the opportunity arises, he will jump up into the play and make himself available on the rush as a support player or he can find some space in the offensive zone to get a shot off, but he doesn’t force the issue. In transition, he makes good, crisp passes, but when they aren’t there, he can skate the puck up ice. He uses his mobility and size well defensively, reading the attack and adjusting as needed. Sotheran likely won’t be some stud on the back end, but he has potential as a second fiddle on the second pair or a solid third-pair defender.

In net, the Flyers have long been looking for the long-term answer. With Carter Hart now a UFA while he faces a charge related to the 2018 Canadian world junior team investigation, they will continue to look for the answer in net. 

The Flyers have a few solid prospects in Yegor Zavragin, Carson Bjarnason and Alexei Kolosev. All three were well-regarded in their draft years. Bjarnason is likely the best netminder as of right now, but Kolosev and Zavaragin are legitimate prospects who could be the answer with some patience. The Flyers will be waiting on all of these guys for a few years, so there is plenty of time to figure it all out.

U-23 Players Likely To Be on the NHL Roster

Matvei Michkov (RW), Jamie Drysdale (RD), Tyson Foerster (RW), Bobby Brink (RW), Cam York (LD)

2024 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 13th overall - Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph (OHL)

Round 2, 51st overall - Jack Berglund, C, Farjestad Jr. (Swe.)

Round 2, 59th overall - Spencer Gill, RD, Rimouski (QMJHL)

Round 4, 107th overall - Heikki Ruohonen, C, Kiekko-Espoo Jr. (Fin.)

Round 5, 148th overall - Noah Powell, RW, Dubuque (USHL)

Round 6, 173rd overall - Ilya Pautov, RW, Krasnaya Armiya Moscow Jr. (Rus.)

Round 7, 205th overall - Austin Moline, RD, Shattuck St. Mary’s (USHS-Prep)

In what felt like the first real shock of the 2024 NHL draft, the Flyers chose Jett Luchanko 13th overall. 

While he was a late riser on draft boards, his ascension to pick No. 13 on draft day gave some pause, but the Flyers were adamant they got their guy in Luchanko. He plays with speed and pace and certainly makes life easy for his linemates in transition. Luchanko pressures opponents all over the ice, whether he is getting in on their hands on the forecheck below the goal line or applying pressure as they attempt to move the puck up ice. 

His intelligence, motor and work ethic made him a player the Flyers highly valued. As one of the younger players in the draft class, the Flyers hope the flashes of skill become more consistent next season, and he can truly pop off offensively in the OHL.

The Flyers added a forward with size the second round with Jack Berglund. He doesn’t really have a standout trait or tool that makes him special, but he does a good job of playing down the middle, using his size and strength to deflect defenders when he has the puck and find soft spots in the offensive zone when he doesn’t have the puck. His skating is an area of concern as he falls behind play at times and even struggles to hit top speed with room to build up. It will be interesting to see just what he turns into over the next couple of years.

A few picks later, Philadelphia selected Spencer Gill, a defensive blueliner from the QMJHL. The 6-foot-4 defender reads rush patterns well, getting his stick into passing lanes and then closing with the body. He showed some nice puck-moving ability as a passer, hitting outlets consistently and even jumping into the rush from time to time. Gill still needs some refinement in his offensive zone play and with finer puckhandling, but there’s a solid base to build around.

Philadelphia seemed to like going after players with some size after the first round, nabbing 6-foot-2 center Heikki Ruohonen in the fourth round. While his puck skill isn’t anything overly impressive, he plays a smart 200-foot game with excellent habits away from the puck. When he does have the puck, he often relies on powering through traffic and trying to use force over skill to move the puck. Ruohonen projects as a bottom-six forward, and he must continue to develop his hands to become more capable with the puck on his stick.

Noah Powell's impressive USHL season as a 19-year-old earned him plenty of praise. He notched 43 goals in 61 games, showcasing some impressive power elements as well as sneaky-good passing under pressure. His mobility often holds him back. Powell will be heading to the Ohio State University in the fall, where he can work on getting quicker and more agile.

Ilya Pautov was one of the craftiest and most entertaining players on the Russian junior circuit this past year. He is a shifty skater with the hands to match, dancing around the offensive zone and looking to make plays for his teammates. Pautov has the potential to be an impact player on some level, but he must refine some of his decision-making and develop pro habits away from the puck before the thought of him playing in the NHL even becomes a reality.

Drafting a defensive blueliner from the prep level is always a risk, but doing so in the seventh round takes the risk out of the pick. Austin Moline has great size and moves well enough that you can project him to the pro game with a long development path. He defends well with his stick and looks to make first contact as soon as possible. As with any high school player, a few years in the NCAA will do him good, and then the Flyers can decide on whether he’s worth signing.

Strengths

The Flyers have a good pipeline and some really intriguing prospects all over the depth chart. But the sheer volume of right-handed defensemen with Bonk at the top of the list has other teams envious. 

Grans is a talented defenseman who hasn’t been able to replicate his rookie AHL season the last couple of years, but there is still hope there. Sotheran is an interesting toolsy defender with plenty of upside as a defensive specialist with some transition utility. Ethan Samson, Spencer Gill and Matteo Mann bring some defensive value with varying levels of physicality and play-killing ability. They have a deep group on the right side.

Weaknesses

On the flip side – literally – the Flyers have some issues on the left side of their defensive pipeline. 

Andrae is their only really notable defender, and his upside is underwhelming at best because he is an undersized, low-paced puck-mover. Brian Zanetti is playing over in Switzerland after his OHL career ended. 

Ty Murchison is heading into his senior year at Arizona State, and he has been pretty much the same player throughout his three years there. He can move, and he can hit. There isn’t much value in his game outside of that at the moment. If he takes a big step this year, maybe there’s more, but until he becomes a serviceable puck-mover, he will likely go unsigned. 

The Flyers could use a left-shot defender or two in the draft next year to bolster the weakest spot in their pipeline.

Next Man Up: Matvei Michkov, RW

Life is good for the Philadelphia Flyers. Their prized prospect was released from his contract in the KHL early, and now, he will be suiting up in Philadelphia in the fall.

Michkov should be the early favorite for the Calder Trophy, and it wouldn’t shock anybody if he matched the numbers Connor Bedard put up last season. His goal-scoring should translate to the NHL, with legitimate one-shot scoring ability and cerebral instincts. 

Michkov is an offensive chance-generating machine. If he can continue to focus on getting to the high-danger areas at 5-on-5, he could be the Flyers' most dangerous player immediately. He is almost surely going to be a menace on the power play, bringing creativity and skill to a unit that could use a game-breaking talent. Flyers fans should be ecstatic that Michkov is here.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Alex Ciernik, Elliot Desnoyers, Jack Berglund, Alex Bump

C: Jett Luchanko, Denver Barkey, Massimo Rizzo, Jon-Randall Avon, Cole Knuble

RW: Matvei Michkov, Samu Tuomaala, Devin Kaplan, Zayde Wisdom, Ilya Pautov

LD: Emil Andrae, Brian Zanetti, Ty Murchison

RD: Oliver Bonk, Helge Grans, Carter Sotheran, Ethan Samson, Spencer Gill, Austin Moline, Matteo Mann

G: Yegor Zavragin, Carson Bjarnason, Alexei Kolosev

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